Housewarming
by patricia51
Summary: Tony and Ellie go by Tim and Delilah's apartment with housewarming gifts but no one is answering the door. What to do? Tony has an idea but Ellie thinks it's a bad one. She's right. Takes place at the end of "Viral". Tony, Ellie. Tim and Delilah appear off stage. Sort of.


Housewarming by patricia51

(Tony and Ellie go by Tim and Delilah's apartment with housewarming gifts but no one is answering the door. What to do? Tony has an idea but Ellie thinks it's a bad one. She's right. Takes place at the end of "Viral". Tony, Ellie. Tim and Delilah appear off stage. Sort of.)

"Tony what are you doing?"

The NCIS agent in question looked at his petite blonde coworker with a look that was half-amused, half-disbelief. "We've come all the way over here to deliver housewarming gifts to McGeek and Wheels and we're going to deliver them."

"There s no light on and they didn't answer the phone," Ellie Bishop pointed out.

"And that's a violation of Gibb's rules," Tony DiNozzo responded righteously. "Never be unreachable."

Bishop refrained from reminding him that rule had to do with calls that were duty-related which this situation was not. But her attention was diverted by what Tony produced from one of his pockets.

"Tony! Is that a key?"

"Well you didn't think I was going to pick the lock did you? I promised not to do that again."

"How did you get a key to Tim's apartment? Did he give it to you."

"In a manner of speaking yes."

"A matter of speaking?"

"Well he shouldn t leave his keys in his desk if he didn't want me to have access to them. As Senior Field Agent it's my right, in fact my responsibility to be able to respond to any need of my partner at any time."

"Tony this is a very bad idea."

"Nonsense," he scoffed. He unlocked the door, opened it and grandly gestured to Bishop. She shook her head in resignation and waved him ahead of her. He grinned and went in. Ellie shot a look at the lock. No wonder he had got a key made, he wasn't going to be picking that lock. None were "unpickable" but the one Tim had installed there was as close as it could come.

The lights were off. Tony fumbled by the door, finding a switch. The table lamp beside the couch sprang to life as did a light under the large ceiling fan in the center of the room. He opened his mouth to call out and stopped.

"I don't think anyone's home Tony," Ellie said in a whisper that somehow seemed to fit the situation. In fact she could barely be heard under the gentle whir of the ceiling fan which had also sprung to life.

"Shhh," Tony replied, holding up one hand. "I think I heard something." He laid his housewarming present on the coffee table beside him, brushing back his jacket. He didn't draw his weapon but kept his hand on the butt as he moved silently towards the hallway. Ellie hastily copied his actions.

They inched down the hallway towards a door that was partially open. There were definite sounds now, low key but somehow familiar. Why was she suddenly thinking of Jake and their honeymoon? Get in the game Ellie she sternly told herself.

Couching slightly Tony reached the door and touched it. It swung open on well lubricated hinges. He started to enter and stopped. Suddenly. Instantly. Ellie bumped into him.

A quick peek around him and Ellie was moving as quickly as she could towards the front door. In spite of her speed Tony beat her there, waiting impatiently for her so he could close it and with infinite care turn the key silently. Then they were walking as quickly as they could in the direction of the parking lot and NOT looking back although they both held their breath, strained their ears and hunched over slightly as though they were trying to hide themselves.

"I TOLD you this was a bad idea," Ellie fumed once she was sure they were out of sight and ear-shot of the apartment."

"Yeah, well sometimes even a Probie is right."

Ellie suddenly came to a halt. "The house-warming gifts! We forgot them. They're on the coffee table." She wavered. "Shouldn't we go back and get them?"

"Not on your life."

"But they'll know!"

"We'll just tell them it must have been the Housewarming Fairy." Tony picked up the pace; shaking his head as though he was trying to get something out of his memory. Of course Ellie was trying the same thing and Tony's body had blocked most of her line of sight to the bed.

"That's twice," muttered Tony. Ellie thought for a moment and then remembered when he had answered Tim's phone only to have Delilah set up to video chat. She couldn't recall who had screamed louder, Delilah at having Tony answer or Tony realizing his partner's girlfriend was naked and had phone sex on her mind.

"Well, don't tell him this time how lucky he is to have her."

Tony didn't answer. He just walked faster. They climbed into the car and tore out of the parking lot. She caught one more comment Tony made under his breath and groaned herself as it filled in some of the happily missed view previously. And it wasn't like she had wanted it filled in.

"I wonder how in the world she gets on top and how do they do it like that?"

(The End) 


End file.
